Big tech shelled out for Gang of Eight’s immigration push

Big Tech pulled out its checkbook to help push an immigration bill closer to the finish line.

Google, Facebook, Oracle and a full slate of companies and executives showered the Senate’s Gang of Eight with a series of donations just before the chamber passed a bill that included the industry’s most prized reforms — including more H-1B visas.

And tech companies and executives offered similar support to Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Only Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the final members of the group, didn’t draw serious cash from tech company campaign coffers during the immigration battle — but they don’t face reelection until 2018.

Tech companies long have sought access to a larger pool of high-skilled workers, both by way of temporary H-1B visas as well as green cards for immigrants with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math fields.

And the Gang of Eight bill, which the Senate advanced in June, largely delivered for the industry. It could more than double the H-1B pool, for example, while offering new visas that might entice foreign engineers and students to stay permanently in the United States.

Of course, the Senate didn’t draft immigration reform and vote it out of the chamber this year just because of the tech set and its influence operations.

Still, the eight lawmakers who led the debate certainly cashed tech companies’ generous campaign checks throughout the course of the fight, according to a review of 2013 campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Bennet’s reelection coffers benefited from a $5,000 check from Google and a $1,000 check from Intel. Facebook also donated $5,000 to the senator’s leadership PAC, and Microsoft contributed $2,500.

For Graham, Cisco CEO John Chambers provided about $5,000 in support, with smaller sums coming from venture capitalist Doerr and his wife, as well as Conway; Joel Kaplan, a leading lobbyist for Facebook in Washington; and Oracle’s political action committee.

Oracle also shelled out $2,500 to Rubio, who will be up for reelection in 2016, while Google, Microsoft and Facebook each donated $5,000 to the senator’s leadership PAC, called Reclaim America.

And there were big donations from Google, Oracle and Facebook to Schumer, as well as one Microsoft check cut so far this year to Durbin.

All four companies — the biggest donors of the bunch — did not comment for this story. Some of the tech firms had donated to those lawmakers in the past.

Campaign donations were only part of the tech sector’s strategy on immigration reform, which initially teetered on the brink because of issues like citizenship and border security. Companies like Google and Facebook spent record sums over the past year to lobby lawmakers on the issue while many tech executives coalesced behind advocacy group FWD.us, Mark Zuckerberg’s initiative that ran local television ads in defense of Gang of Eight members. FWD.us set a goal of raising $50 million in its push.

Meanwhile, the tech industry’s new Senate allies could prove influential as the immigration debate shifts to the House. Three Gang of Eight leaders — McCain, Graham and Schumer — met with top representatives from Microsoft, Google, Intel and FWD.us as they prepared a significant August recess offensive targeting more than 100 House Republicans on immigration.